Building a personal compendium of Rolex, Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet timepieces may seem harmless, but how can a collector avoid this hobby from becoming an unhealthy obsession? Tatler talks to those in the know
The rhythmic sound of a ticking watch can be hypnotic—so much so that, for some, it can be the gateway drug to obsession, fascination and potential financial peril. Tatler met with Jackie Ho and Clarence Cheung, the co-founders of Hong Kong watch club Watch Ho & Co for a lunch at The Upper House in Hong Kong, where the duo joked about discussions between members about their never-ending wish lists. “It feels like having a Watch Addicts Anonymous meet-up,” says Ho. But there is a serious reality to this flippant conversation.
It is crucial to identify the fine line between being a discerning collector and a full-blown hoarder. A collector understands the timepiece, appreciates its craftsmanship and, most importantly, knows when to stop buying more. Sonia Samtani, a Hong Kong-based counsellor and hypnotherapist, says, “The basic difference between someone who has an addiction and someone with a passion is their level of control. You are in charge of your passion, whereas you feel taken over by your addiction and [might] do things that do not [align] with your own intelligence. In the long run, a person with an addiction to collecting and hoarding may find that it is getting in the way of their relationships, their finances, their health and their lifestyle.”
One could compare collectors to gourmets at a lavish dinner, relishing each dish, savouring the distinct flavours and singing their praises, sometimes even when nobody is listening. On the other hand, a hoarder is more like a kid in a candy store. To avoid becoming the latter, it’s important to understand if there is an emotional pattern that emerges while buying a watch. Samtani says, “Co-occurring conditions can be observed in some cases, which include compulsive buying, electronic addiction reinforced by spending time researching [online], other addictions like excessive alcohol consumption and smoking, which can be associated with showcasing their [luxury experiences] to the public, attention seeking and keeping up with the trends of society through social media.”
So what’s one major sign that the hobby is turning into an obsession? “When you start thinking of these watches 24/7. They’re constantly on your mind. [ You even] dream about them, and wake up the next day thinking: I’m going to put this watch on my wrist today,” Omar Traboulsi tells Tatler over a video call from Beirut. Traboulsi is one of the most notable watch collectors in the world. He previously worked in sales for watch portal Wristcheck in Hong Kong, then became its director of community, before he decided to head back to the Middle East to be with his family.
Traboulsi describes collecting luxury watches as “obviously an expensive hobby [that] requires many sacrifices”; once it crosses into addiction territory, he says, it can even warp your sense of time—you start to see every second as a missed opportunity to buy an Audemars Piguet. The collector, who admits to being an emotional person, says that a healthy relationship with watches is “not about having the most significant collection, but the most meaningful one”. However, he admits that the emotional attachment he forms to his pieces makes this hobby very difficult for him because “you can never let go of any pieces even if [you don’t give them] the wrist time”. Traboulsi believes that, for many collectors, the joy and satisfaction come from the chase of a particular watch: “The minute it lands on your wrist, you’re thinking about the next piece.”
